Training Materials

NAR's Board Policy and Programs department conducts a Professional Standards Education Seminar every year. The goal of the seminar is to teach REALTORS and association staff how to administer and make proper decisions in ethics and arbitration matters.

Included in that training are classroom exercises to highlight critical issues that arise in professional standards matters. Several of these group training exercises have been collected and placed online as a resource for local associations in training individuals who serve on the professional standards committee.

Note: The debriefs/answers/guidance provided for the various exercises is based upon the adopted policies/Code of Ethics & Arbitration Manual at the time the exercise was created.

Findings of Fact Training Exercises: These materials assist REALTORS® in better understanding how to write findings of fact that support their conclusion and issue appropriate discipline. Having well-written findings of fact is critical to ensure that your association’s ethics decisions are sound and defensible.

Arbitration Scenario Exercises: These training materials help REALTORS® serving on arbitration tribunals understand how to consider and arrive at fair, equitable, and reasoned decisions in procuring cause and other contractual and specific non-contractual disputes.

Grievance Committee Training Exercises: These materials help REALTORS® serving on grievance committees understand how to consider and make knowledgeable dispositions of ethics complaints and arbitration requests.

"What-If" Training Exercises: These exercises are designed to explore complex or tricky circumstances in professional standards policy/procedures.

Professional Standards Training Guide

This guide is offered as a tool for continuing, consistent training of Grievance Committee, Professional Standards Committee, and Board of Directors Members of constituent Member Boards of REALTORS®.

This document outlines the seven stages of processing ethics complaints and arbitration requests.

Policy Into Practice Video Series

This video series explains key REALTOR® association policy in three main areas: Membership, Professional Standards, and Multiple Listings Services (MLSs).

Mandatory Professional Standards Administrator Training

At REALTOR® boards and associations, those primarily responsible for the administration of professional standards processes must successfully complete training. View the learning objectives, minimum criteria, and training resources on this page.

Professional Standards Procedures Quiz

Are you an expert in NAR's professional standards procedures? Take this quiz to find out.

The Five E's of Due Process

The right of a private judicial system, like NAR's ethics and arbitration hearings, is conditioned by law in its commitment to due process as recognized by the five elements explained in this article.